


Headstrong

by Leech



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff, M/M, eruri - Freeform, little gay saves the big gay from certain death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-13 23:58:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3400928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leech/pseuds/Leech
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erwin breaks his leg on a mission and Levi is determined to keep him safe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Headstrong

Loud, fleshy, moist, it came up from behind. Neither of them had turned to see. They ran, yanked their horses in the opposite direction and listened to the salvation of thrumming hooves. But there was a noise climbing an incomprehensible scale, filling his head and drilling at the backs of his eyes. Erwin still didn’t turn. From the corner of his vision he could see Levi doing the same.

The titan behind them was massive. They couldn’t see it, but there was the looming impression of bulk. It retched out oily plumes from gigantic lungs. Erwin swore he could smell a titan’s breath from miles away. All were the same, all copper and spit and hot, hot bile. The first time it had touched his face the world had shrunk. Shivers ran through him like tinfoil on a tooth. The shambling behind them plowed on.

"Erwin!" Levi’s voice was all pinched metal and taut leather. His black horse blew hard beneath his heavy, compact mass.

"How much gas do you have?" The man saw Levi reach back to flick his canisters. They rang in a hollow choir.

"Not enough."

Ruddy legs erupted from the trees ahead, thick trunks carrying a thicker canopy of long, powerful limbs. It was an inexorable force that rushed at them. They were closed in, one behind and one ahead. Erwin clenched the reins and pulled left, Levi swerving opposite and over the gnarly roots of trees. Erwin felt his horse tip before he could look ahead of himself.

There was an inhuman scream suffusing the dusky air, Erwin thrown forward in a rush. His body hit the earth; the breath left his lungs in a low, gravelly exhale that rattled his ribcage. His horse squealed on her side, front legs torn open and alabaster bones peeking between wafers of muscle. Panic was thick. The titan from behind was close overhead. Waxy eyes in sloppy sockets explored the blond, the sunlight glossy across their smooth surface.

Levi was there in moments to slice the back of its heels, swords slashing tendons and knocking the titan down in a tumble of muscle and moans. Erwin scarcely escaped being crushed. There was a strike of thunder in his ankle forewarning a storm. It was broken, his boot acting as a clamp.

Levi was faster than the titans. There was green and carnelian. Boiling blood slapped across his face in a wave. Erwin turned. Pain ran wild up his leg. He couldn’t stand; something was broken.

"Levi!" he hollered. The raven was of lightening, horse a blur of soot beneath him. But he heard Erwin and signaled to his commander with sharp eyes. "Hold." Erwin’s voice was powerful. The leaves shook; Levi shook. But to Erwin’s surprise, he did not stop. The man’s horse wheezed when heels crushed into her ribcage, somehow picking up speed to make a sharp turn. The second titan was swooping, hands whipping the ground and shivering the trees. " _Levi!_   _Hold!_ That’s an order!”

He didn’t stop, Levi herding the titans back and away from Erwin. They fumbled beside each other and slapped meaty shoulders. One collapsed backwards in a messy heap, scrambling to get back up to join its counterpart.

He had never disobeyed an order. Not once since joining the corps. There were a few cross words exchanged at times, but Levi was fast to cooperate. Erwin was at a loss as to how to approach his sudden defiance. There wasn’t time to be noble in this line of work. Those who sacrificed themselves for dead men deserved no more recognition. Erwin couldn’t understand his captain’s change of mood. While his lack of brains was rather evident at times, Levi was neither stupid nor careless. He couldn’t be. None of them could be.

But now was he weaving his horse between heavy feet, the titans’ heels forming ruts in the mud. Erwin could see Levi’s horse stumble to make sense of the uneven ground. The blond could feel his chest clench in panic. Blue eyes swerved to find his mare, but she was unable to stand. Again did Erwin attempt to rise. His leg wouldn’t straighten.

“Levi—“

“ _Shut up_ , Erwin!” The order was a slap to his senses and Erwin took a moment to swallow it properly. Levi was still yanking his horse back and forth around the titans’ legs. The mud was getting thicker. His horse’s back hooves sank in. She reeled, jerked her head before Levi took a tighter grip to the sides of her reins. Brown eyes wide, her legs were wetly yanked free after a shrill whistle. Erwin thanked the year of experience Levi had garnered between himself and his mare. The titans, however, were not so graceful.

The larger of the two attempted to swivel on its heel only to collapse left, open mouth digging into the smaller’s meaty back. They both fell, mud sloshing against the feet of the trees, a heap of groaning.

Levi was beside him the next moment, Erwin only capable of wincing.

“Levi—“

“I said  _shut up_ ,” Levi snarled, arms wrapping about the blond’s middle and heaving him halfway up over his shoulder. Erwin huffed, fingers finding purchase in the dampened fabric of Levi’s cloak.

“You can’t carry me.”

“I can, you bastard.” There was hardly time to argue. The raven’s smaller hands were yanking him up into the saddle, Levi cursing him for not offering the slightest bit of help. “Lean against me and don’t slip off. I can’t drag your fat ass around that long.” Erwin felt the man guide him toward his shoulder either way, himself sitting backwards against Levi’s chest. The titans were just managing to untangle themselves from the ground as they took off, Erwin able to watch them flounder before the trees swallowed their frames.

“I can’t believe you,” Levi ranted, his voice sharp metal against Erwin’s right ear. The blond was silent, feeling how tense he was against his broad chest. Levi had been scared. “How could you be so  _stupid_ , Erwin?”

He was quiet, wetting his lips before muttering a soft, “Thank you.” The raven recoiled somewhat, but didn’t find the room to curse. Instead did Levi roughly lift a hand to wipe at his face, shoulder trembling underneath Erwin’s throat.

The ride back was long, Levi crying silently to himself while Erwin brushed his mouth over his pale, sweaty neck. The kisses were sweet and Levi leaned into them. 


End file.
